Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

In Utero Intra-cardiac Tomato-lectin Injections on Mouse Embryos to Gauge Renal Blood Flow
10:25

In Utero Intra-cardiac Tomato-lectin Injections on Mouse Embryos to Gauge Renal Blood Flow

Published on: February 4, 2015

Kidney and urinary tract development: an apoptotic balancing act

Katherine Stewart1, Maxime Bouchard

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Pediatric Nephrology (Berlin, Germany)
|March 3, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Maintaining a balance between cell survival and programmed cell death (apoptosis) is vital for developing functional kidneys. This review explores how these processes, involving effector caspases and the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, guide kidney and urinary tract formation.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology
  • Urology

Background:

  • Kidney and urinary tract development necessitates precise regulation of cell survival and death.
  • Pro-survival signals maintain metanephric mesenchyme viability for nephrogenesis.
  • Programmed cell death (apoptosis) is essential for proper organ morphogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the roles of cell survival and apoptosis in mammalian urogenital system development.
  • To highlight the importance of balancing cell death and survival for nephrogenesis.
  • To discuss the mechanisms, including effector caspases and the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, involved in kidney formation.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on urogenital system development.
  • Analysis of research on cell survival pathways in metanephric mesenchyme.
  • Examination of studies detailing apoptosis mechanisms in kidney and urinary tract morphogenesis.

Main Results:

  • Cell survival pathways are critical for preserving the metanephric mesenchyme, enabling nephrogenesis.
  • Localized apoptosis, mediated by effector caspases, is indispensable for kidney and urinary tract shaping.
  • The intrinsic apoptosis pathway plays a fundamental role in facilitating ureteric bud branching and ureter-bladder connections.

Conclusions:

  • A delicate balance between cell survival and apoptosis is fundamental for building functional kidneys and urinary tracts.
  • Understanding these processes is key to comprehending normal urogenital development and potential congenital anomalies.

More Related Videos

A Mouse Model to Evaluate the Long-Term Structural and Functional Outcomes after the Reversal of Prolonged Unilateral Ureteric Obstruction05:34

A Mouse Model to Evaluate the Long-Term Structural and Functional Outcomes after the Reversal of Prolonged Unilateral Ureteric Obstruction

Published on: July 18, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Apoptosis01:30

Apoptosis

Apoptosis is a combination of two Greek words, 'apo' and 'ptosis,' meaning separation and falling off, respectively. Hippocrates used this word to describe gangrene, which was caused due to bandaging of fractured bones. Apoptosis was distinguished from necrosis in 1970 when John Kerr reported observations of morphological changes occurring during apoptosis. During one experiment, he observed that the disruption of blood supply to the liver tissue resulted in a size reduction of the tissue.
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...
Acute Kidney Injury II: Pathophysiology01:29

Acute Kidney Injury II: Pathophysiology

Acute kidney injury (AKI) causes are categorized into three primary categories based on the location of the injury: prerenal, intrarenal (or intrinsic), and postrenal causes. This classification guides clinical management and illustrates how different pathways can impair kidney function.Etiology and Pathophysiology of Acute Kidney Injury1. Prerenal causesEtiology: Prerenal Acute Kidney Injury, the most common type, occurs when reduced blood flow to the kidneys decreases filtration capacity...
Introduction to Urinary System01:13

Introduction to Urinary System

The urinary system consists of two kidneys, two ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra.
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs located in the retroperitoneal space, on either side of the vertebral column, between the T12 and L3 vertebrae. They are partially protected by the rib cage and surrounded by perirenal fat, which provides cushioning. They are responsible for urine formation and play critical roles in regulating blood pressure, electrolyte levels, and hormone production. The ureters...
Kidney Structure01:45

Kidney Structure

The kidneys are two large bean-shaped organs located in the upper abdomen. They filter the blood several times a day to remove toxins and rebalance water and electrolytes of the circulatory system via the renal veins. The kidneys receive blood directly from the heart via the renal arteries. These arteries enter the kidney at the hilum, the concave surface of the bean, where they branch and divide into smaller vessels and capillaries.
Filtration and Urine Formation01:32

Filtration and Urine Formation

The function of the kidneys is to filter, reabsorb, secrete, and excrete. Every day the kidneys filter nearly 180 liters of blood, initially removing water and solutes but ultimately returning nearly all filtrates into circulation with the help of osmoregulatory hormones. This process removes wastes and toxins but is also crucial to maintain water and electrolyte levels. Most of these functions are performed by the tiny but numerous nephrons contained within the kidneys.